The Yuchengco-backed 19.6 MWDC San Jose Solar Power Project (SJSPP) has reached a significant milestone, securing the Final Certificate of Approval to Connect (FCATC) from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on April 14, 2025. This crucial approval paves the way for the facility, developed by San Jose Green Energy Corporation (SJGEC), a subsidiary of Rizal Green Energy Corporation (RGEC), to commence full commercial operations.
Prior to this final clearance, the SJSPP had already begun exporting clean and renewable energy to the Luzon grid as part of its commissioning tests, starting on December 21, 2024. The facility was officially inaugurated on April 24, 2025, in Brgy. Sto. Niño 3rd, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
The solar farm harnesses energy through the deployment of over 24,600 units of 670Wp and more than 4,500 units of 675Wp solar photovoltaic (PV) panels supplied by Trina Solar. These high-efficiency panels are integrated with 51 Huawei string inverters, each boasting a 300kW nominal power capacity, ensuring optimal conversion of sunlight into usable electricity.
The SJSPP is projected to generate approximately 29 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. This output is sufficient to power around 30,000 households and is estimated to displace approximately 20,400 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year, contributing significantly to a cleaner energy future.
Engr. Paul Elmer C. Morala, VP for Technical Operations at PetroGreen Energy Corporation (PGEC), the parent company of RGEC (a joint venture with Japan’s TAISEI Corporation), emphasized the significance of this achievement. “Receiving the FCATC underscores the RGEC team’s commitment to adhering to all required grid connection protocols for safe and efficient power plant operations,” he stated. He further added, “We thank the NGCP and Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO-II) for their invaluable support and assistance in connecting the facility to the Luzon grid, highlighting the vital role of public-private collaboration in advancing the country’s clean energy agenda.”
Looking ahead, SJGEC filed for the project’s Certificate of Compliance (COC) with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on April 15, 2025. Upon the ERC’s issuance of the COC and the subsequent submission of formal notice for the start of commercial operations in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with SJSPP’s offtaker, SN Aboitiz Power-Magat, Inc. (SNAP-MI), will become effective.
Dave P. Gadiano, PGEC AVP for Power Markets, highlighted the strategic importance of this project for PGEC. “When this commercial operation milestone is reached, the SJSPP will become PGEC’s eighth utility-scale renewable energy power plant, further strengthening PGEC’s power generation asset portfolio and revenue stream,” he affirmed. This development underscores PGEC’s growing contribution to the Philippines’ renewable energy landscape.
